Process of treating magnetic iron ore



(No Model.)

Gr. OONKLING. PROCESS OF TREATING MAGNETIO IRON ORE. No. 401,414.Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTCE.

GURDON CONKLING, OF GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF TREATING MAGNETIC IRON ORE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,414, dated April16, 1889.

Application filed July 31, 1888. Serial No. 281,495. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GURDON GONKLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glens Falls, in the county of Varren and State of NewYorlnhave invented new and useful Improvements in the Process ofTreating Mag netic Iron Ores, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process in which magnetic iron ores afterhaving been crushed are exposed to the action of a succession of magnetsof graduated intensity in relation to the mass exposed to their action,so that the magnet or magnets having the smallest intensity attract theparticles richest in iron, the magnet or magnets of greater intensitythe particles contaminatedwith a small quantity of impurities, and soon.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an apparatus which canbe used in carrying out my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section in the plane 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical section in the plane y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letter G designates a hopper through which thecrushed or concentrated ore is fed to the conveyor 0. In the exampleshown in the drawings this conveyor consists of an endless belt whichruns over drums B B, and to which motion is imparted by any suitablemechanism; but said conveyer may be made in the form of an inclinedtrough overwhich the ore slides down. Over the conveyer C are shownthree endless belts, D E F, which run transversely to the conveyer andextend. over drums H H, to which motion is imparted by any suitablemechanism. With each of the transverse belts D E F is combined a magnetof graduated intensity in relation to the mass of ore on the conveyer.In the example shown-in the drawings these magnets are made in the formof plates 1 I, which are magnetized by means of electro-magnets K, andthe magnetized plates of the transverse beltD are placed at a greaterdistance from the conveyer C than the magnetized plates of thetransverse belt E, while the magnetized plates of the transverse beltcated in Figs. 1 and 2.

F are at a smaller distance from the conveyer than the magnetized platesof the transverse belt E. Consequently the intensity of the actionproduced by the magnets of the transverse belt D upon the mass of ore onthe conveyer O is smaller than the intensity of action of the magnets ofthe transverse belt E, and the intensity of the action of the magnets ofthe transverse belt F is still smaller. The various magnetized platesmay, however, be placed at the same distance from the conveyer G, and inthis case their intensity of action is graduated by the force of theelectric currents which serve to magnetize the diiferents sets ofplates, said currents being so gaged that the magnets of the transversebelt- D will be the weakest and those of the transverse belt F thestrongest. The magnets of the transverse belt D, having the smallestintensity in relation to the mass on the conveyer C, attract the pureiron particles contained in said mass, so that the same adhere to thetransverse belt D and are deposited by the same in a suitablereceptacle, N, as indi- The magnets of the transverse belt E, having alarger intensity in relation to the mass of ore on the conveyor than themagnets of the transverse belt D, attract iron particles contaminatedwith a small quantity of impurities, so that the same are carried by thetransverse beltE and deposited into the receptacle N, as shown in Fig.2, a brush, L, being provided which sweeps oif the iron particlesadhering to the transverse belt and causes, thein to drop into a hopper,M, which conducts the same into the receptacle N. The magnets of thetransverse belt F, having a still greater intensity than the mag nets ofthe transverse belt E, attract iron particles contaminated with moreimpurities than those attracted to the transverse belt E, and the ironparticles attracted to the transverse belt F are collected in thereceptacle N It will be seen from this description that by exposing thecrushed ore to the action of a succession of magnets of graduatedintensity in relation to the mass exposed to the action of the magnetsthe purest iron particles contained in the mass are attracted by thefirst magnet, which has the smallest intensity in IOO regard to the massunder treatment, while the V second magnet attracts iron particles ofless purity than the first, and so on, and by these means the mass ofthe ore is divided into portions, the first one of which contains onlypure or almost pure iron, while the second is composed of particles ofless purity than the first, and so on. 7

It is self-evident that in carrying out my invention permanent magnetsmay be used in place of the magnetized plates I 1, (shown in thedrawings) and since these plates when magnetized practically becomemagnets I have used the term magnets to include permanent magnets aswell as magnets produced by the action of electricity.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

GURDON OONKLING. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

W. O. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

